Producing travel shows has always given me a thrill and a rush because there is always the unending search for locations and people.
One time, I had a travel show project that talked about restaurants and diners.
I scoured the country for the most traditional restaurants I could find. One of them was a restaurant in a very small town in the south. It was an old restaurant that was established during the 1800s. I saw how the influence of plantation houses was kept in the interiors of the restaurant. The smell inside was not musty at all, despite its age. When I talked to the owner, I asked how she was able to keep the restaurant like new. With a smile, she told me she was lucky to have the original chef and a great HVAC technician. She said that because of his dedicated HVAC contractor, his ventilation, air conditioning, and heating all work like new every day, of every month, of every year. The owner had it maintained regularly especially before the hot and cold months. She said it was worth it because when people knew it was a joy to eat there, they always came, no matter how hot or cold it was. When the owner first entered the restaurant as a customer, all she smelled was the food. She left the restaurant smelling of what everybody ate. When she bought the place, she made sure that wouldn’t happen to anyone who ate there ever again. She was true to her word. The place smelled of potpourri when I entered, but when I ordered my food, I only basked in the aromas of the herbs and sauces, but I never left with them. This was proof of excellent HVAC maintenance. The restaurant ended up in the pilot episode of our show.